


Stars Are Screaming

by DecepticonDrone



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Cyberverse
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Character Dying, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, M/M, Major Illness, Protectiveness, Spark Abilities, Supernatural Illnesses, Torture, Transformer Sparklings, Transformers Spark Bonds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-09-06 03:35:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16824304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DecepticonDrone/pseuds/DecepticonDrone
Summary: Megatron had always admired his second's sonic screech ability. He never questioned its existence or how Starscream was the only seeker able to perform such an ability. He simply rolled with it and let Starscream use it as long as it wasn't on him.However, Megatron is now forced to dig into Starscream's ability's origin because of a mysterious mech that causes Starscream serious trouble.Will Starscream tell Megatron the secret about his ability willingly? Or will Megatron have to gain the seeker's trust before he'll let him help him?





	1. Scorched Seekers

How Starscream did it, Megatron had no idea. That loud screech that sent destructive waves towards an enemy had saved them both in more situations than he could accurately remember, mostly because in those situations he had concussions or had blacked out. The first time it had happened he had simply thought it was his processor playing tricks on him due to injury. Luckily, his processor wasn’t lying to him and his second in command was more useful in combat than he had originally thought.

Starscream had been missing for the past 2 solar cycles, which wasn't unusual. What was unusual was the fact that he was still gone after Megatron could see his seekers visibly distressed by his absence. Normally he'd come back around the time his seekers began to lose their composure. Seekers and their odd behaviors.

Megatron was sitting at his command chair aboard the Nemesis when a group of seekers came rushing in, holding up one of Starscream's trine members. The trine member had dents and scorches all over him, he looked like he'd been beaten the scrap out of." Lord Megatron! You have to see this!" The injured seeker said with great distress, handing a small datapad over. 

Megatron frowned deeply at the cheap datapad, it wasn't decepticon in make or model. Their datapads were much more energy efficient and upgraded." What is this?" He growled out at the battered seeker. 

The seeker was struggling to stay conscious, but managed to mutter something before only the two healthy seekers were keeping him upright." They said for only you to watch it…"

Storming off to his private quarters and ignoring Shockwave's pings, he sat at his desk and turned on the datapad. Standard things greeted him until he noticed a little folder that read 'For Megatron' on it. Access the folder led to a video recording popping up. In it he could see a dimly lit room with metal table, a green Autobot insignia on the floor. The camera then panned up so more than just the table hinges, what he saw then made his spark almost stop. There on the metal slab laid Starscream. His usually pristine paint was marred with scrapes and dents. His pedes and thrusters scorched to pitch black, energon leaking from some parts of the burn wounds. 

A voice spoke suddenly in the recording." Starscream, Second in Command to Meagtron and Commander of his air force. You weren't easy to capture were you. Say hi to your master for me would you?" A distorted voice spoke. Starscream let a hiss and shook his helm furiously. The person recording tsked the seeker, a blue servo appearing in the camera's lens and turning up a dial on a controller. 

Suddenly the table began to generate an electric field, Starscream screaming in pain so much so that his vocalizer turned to static. The same hand turned it up even higher. Starscream had tears streaming down his faceplates, in too much pain to even make coherent pleas for mercy. Megatron could only make out his own name being accompanied by a "help me" from the seeker. His spark was hurting as he watched his second be tortured. 

Turning up the dial to a higher level caused Starscream to throw his helm back painfully against the metal slab, his screams growing louder and louder until his optics fuzzed and he, unwillingly, let out a sonic screech that rippled through the dim room. Seemingly satisfied with the response, the mystery mech turned off the torture device." Excellent." The mech murmured. Starscream was panting from the residual pain as tears continued to stream down his currently dirty cheeks, new burn marks on his plating from the agonizing abuse of his circuits. Megatron was glad that the area above his spark still seemed to be unharmed, for the most part. The video soon ended with the sound of something turning on, Starscream turning towards it and the camera with terror in his optics.

Turning off the datapad, Megatron silently contacted Soundwave, altering the mech to send out search teams for the possible location of Starscream and his kidnapper. However Megatron wouldn't have to wait for a response for much longer. It turns out that Starscream had returned the same time as his trine members and that had been what Shockwave was messaging him about. He was alive, but in the medical bay…and there was a serious problem. 

Rushing down to the medical bay as fast as he could, Megatron was met with Starscream's unconscious form laying on a medical berth. His faceplates still grimy and tear stained. His armor still scorched in some places, but now with energon salve coating them to help them heal and to help with the pain. His pedes were wrapped in a tough gauze, some energon salve visable from the few openings Megatron could see. Starscream's nullrays were missing, his wings severely damaged, and his neck wrapped up with a more movable gauze. Megatron's spark ached as he had never seen the proud little seeker so…broken before. He looked so fragile and needing of protection like this. Especially after what that mystery autobot brute had done to him. 

A medic soon approached, looking very solemn." Lord Megatron, Commander Starscream has suffered devastating injuries to most of his frame. Luckily his spark and spark chamber are unharmed, however there is something even more concerning than the state of his frame and most likely his psyche after this…event." The medic explained.

Megatron glared at them, standing closer to the defenseless seeker." And what pray tell is that medic?" He growled out, optics smoldering in anger at whatever mech did this to his seeker.

"Commander Starscream's voicebox is missing."


	2. Prophecy Pondering

When Starscream awoke, the first thing he felt was the excruciating pain radiating from his pedes and thrusters. Propping himself up a bit and looking down, he grimaced at their awful state and laid back down with an exasperated look in his optics. It would take more than just a few solar cycles for his self-repair to fix the severe damage they had been dealt. 

As he looked at his other wounds, he felt the gauze wrapped around his neck. His optics widened as he remembered what that Autobot degenerate had done to him. His voice box was gone. The thing most important to him, other than his wings, was in the clutches of some deranged Autobot. Normally a missing voice box could simply be replaced, but Starscream’s voice box was special. He had never explicitly told anyone why he could do what he could with his voice, but if anyone knew ancient prophesies they’d probably recognize it. His seeker armada knew, mostly due to their heritage and upbringings. 

“Beware the one who gladly coats their servos in Energon. They shall rise and scorch the land beneath them. The ground will crack, the sky will weep, and the stars shall scream. Only when the stars alight with devotion will the dastardly fiend fall.” 

If Starscream could sigh, he would have. No doubt this mystery Autobot mech knew this seeker prophecy well. Starscream had known better before the war to flaunt his ability. On more than one occasion he’d gotten into trouble as a sparkling due to his power. He’d been kidnapped twice and hospitalized four times due to his “Primus blessed voice”. He hated that his creators had called it that. It felt like a curse far more often than a blessing. 

The worst part about this whole circumstance was that Starscream knew what would begin to happen to his frame now that his voice box had been stolen. He’d begin to deteriorate. His health would slowly decline the longer he and his voice box were apart. He’d need to recover it soon and unfortunately only his fellow Deceptions would be at his disposal to recover it. They weren’t all that bright and that was stressful enough during normal circumstances. Now Starscream’s very life was on the line. 

Checking around the medical room and seeing no subordinates nearby, Starscream closed his optics and let himself get some more rest. He’d need all the rest, Energon, and help he could get soon enough.


	3. Megatron and the Medics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Starscream is talking on his datapad its with these marks *......*

When Starscream finally awoke groggily from recharge, he was greeted with the sound of medics talking to someone about his condition and how they had no idea why it wasn't improving. From the sound of things it seemed as though they were talking to a superior with medical file access. If Starscream were to guess, he'd guess Shockwave. That is until a deep voice bellowed," WELL FIND A WAY TO HEAL HIM YOU USELESS PILES OF SCRAP!" Megatron. It was Megatron. 

Onlinging his optics at last, he squinted as the harsh lights of the medical bay made them sting a bit. His helm pounded and it became grievously apparent that he hadn't been given the proper dosage of pain blockers. He sat up slowly, waving at the medics and Megatron hoping to get their attention so he could have more pain killers. Unsurprisingly, Megatron just continued to yell and argue with the medics. None of them noticing the pained seeker.

Cursing up a storm in his processor, Starscream calculated his options for getting the attention of the medics and Megatron. Looking down at his completely decimated pedes made it blatantly obvious that he wasn't going to get up and walk over to them. The ache in his processor meant banging his head off of something wouldn't do him any long term favors either. He looked at his back and noted that his wings had been repaired, deciding that though his perception was impaired due to the massive helm ache he would chuck those at the mechs to finally get some attention. 

He detached a wing and aimed for the space between the medics and Megatron, soon tossing it with pain induced force towards his target. With Starscream's luck, it missed the wall he was aiming for. Instead of smacking loudly against the wall in-between Megatron and the medics, it collided with Megatron's helm with a rather loud bang. Megatron cursed loudly clutching his helm and turning to glare daggers at his assailant, until he remember it was Starscream and Starscream had already suffered a vorn's worth of punishment from the unknown autobot brute. 

Megatron sighed, picking up Starscream's wing and walking over." What is it Starscream?" He asked looking still somewhat irritated from the sudden attack. He handed back the wing to him and Starscream quickly reattached it. 

Starscream soon began gesturing wildly towards the iv in his arm and the bag that was filled with a less than effective pain reducer. 

Megatron quriked an eye ridge and looked between the seeker and the bag, trying to decipher what Starscream was asking." Hm…" He mumbled in thought then smiled a bit as he thought he had figured it out." You're in the medical bay Starscream, I think the medics are more than capable of putting an iv and pain reducers in." He stated.

Starscream opened his mouth unthinking, trying to shout in anger at Megatron's stupidity. He only succeeded in hacking up some energon from his damaged throat however, leading Megatron to run over to the medics demanding to know what was wrong with him. 

What proceeded from there was a game of "Lets Ask The Mute 100 Questions" and none of said questions were what Starscream had needed/hoped for them to ask. Eventually Megatron got fed up with the game as well and had the bright idea to give Starscream a holopad with a light pen so he could write. Starscream quickly scribbled down a response and practically shoved it in Megatron and the multiple medics' faces.

*You're all a bunch of glitch heads, I need stronger pain blockers, I feel like my optics are going to burst out of my helm*

The medics quickly scattered to go retrieve Starscream's pain meds, leaving Megatron and his SIC alone for the first time since the assault had happened. Megatron let out a little sigh and sat next to Starscream's side on the berth, carefully avoiding his damaged pedes with utmost care that a gladiator shouldn’t have. 

To Starscream surprise Megatron looked like he hadn't recharged in quite sometime. His optics were smoldering red and his face looked tired and…dare Starscream think it? Worried. 

Megatron frowned and looked Starscream over before asked," Besides the pain from lack of strong blockers, are you alright?" 

Starscream simply nodded, absently rubbing his throat where his vocalizer had been removed. He soon picked up his datapad and scribbled down a message before presenting it to Megatron.

*I need to get my vocalizer back, or I'll start to deteriorate even more*

Megatron read the message and his frown deepened." What do you mean you'll deteriorate more? We can get you a replacement." He stated and crossed his arms.

Starscream shook his head, clearing the message and jotting down a new one.

*My vocalizer is special. It is linked to my spark and that's how I can use my special ability. Without it not only will I deteriorate until my spark goes out, but my seekers will suffer as well. They need my voice for reasons you wouldn't understand*

Megatron arched a brow at that." Try me. I may understand more than you realize Starscream." He offered. 

Starscream quickly jotted down his reply and thrust it in Megatron's face, causing the warlock to veer back a bit. 

*Then tell me oh mighty Megatron, have you ever heard of the Voice of Vos?*


	4. An Old Sparkling's Tale

Megatron did not know what Starscream spoke of despite how much he acted as though the tale was in his memory files somewhere. He kept shushing Starscream, despite the seeker's inability to interrupt anyway, trying to think of where/if he had heard of the Voice of Vos before. 

Luckily for Starscream, the medics had came back and had given him the proper amount of pain blockers while he had to suffer metaphorically watching the gears turn in Megatron's processor. 

Eventually Megatron's little bit of patience ran out and he let out an exasperated growl." It seems I don't know what the Voice of Vos is Starscream. So, what is it?" He asked and crossed his arms impatiently. 

Starscream quickly wrote *Too long a tale to write* on his holopad, causing Megatron to groan in annoyance. 

Megatron frowned down at Starscream and tapped his pede against the floor impatiently." Then where can we find the tale so I can know what is going on with you?" He asked. 

Starscream detached a wing and chucked it onto a nearby hoverchair, signaling Megatron that they'd have to leave the medbay in order to find it. Starscream was relieved that this time his aim hadn't been screwed with due to pain and Megatron got the message rather quickly.

Megatron helped his Air Commander in the hoverchair with utmost care and made sure not to touch the still painful looking scorched pedes. He then exited the medbay and looked around the corridors." Where to Starscream?" He asked, sounding a bit impatient still from his earlier processor failings. 

Starscream quickly wrote *Sparkling Care Center* on his holopad, and the pair were off. 

When they arrived at the Sparkling Care Center, Megatron was unsurprised to see only seeker sparklings in there. Most mechs like himself in the Decepticon Armada had no desire to have sparklings during a war and could easily stave off reproductive protocols. Seekers on the other hand would go into increasingly intense heat cycles if someone in their trine wasn't carrying once every vorn or so, so the Sparkling Care Center was currently packed with seeker sparklings whose creators were on shift somewhere on the Nemesis. 

Megatron watched Starscream's expression shift a bit from mild annoyance at his predicament, to a tiny smile gracing his faceplates as he watched the little seekers move about. His chassis even moved a bit like he had wanted to laugh when a sparkling managed to walk a bit then fell on its aft with a squeak of indignity. 

The caretaker of said sparklings soon greeted Megatron and Starscream with a bow, addressing Starscream first to Megatron's surprise. 

"Commander Starscream! It's so good to see you again and looking better than when you were recovered. Oh and it is a pleasure seeing you as well Lord Megatron." The caretaker said quickly, letting the two inside. 

Starscream jotted down something in Vosian, something Megatron was unfortunately unable to read, and showed it to the caretaker who nodded enthusiastically." I do believe we have that story somewhere and you're in luck because I haven't had the chance to read to the sparklings yet today." The mech said and quickly rushed over to a rather large shelf piled with holo-books. 

Megatron followed the caretaker over to the shelf, trying to appear as though he was helping. He wasn't of much use though due to the fact that almost all the holo-book titles were written in Vosian. Turning away from the bookshelf, Megatron looked at Starscream in awe as he saw the sparklings all gathered around him chirping and clicking at him as if they knew who he was. Starscream had a calm smile on his face as the little ones chirped and beeped at him, some of them even climbing his legs. Starscream grimaced a little at the pain that caused his damaged pedes, but he didn't punt the sparklings away like Megatron had expected him to. He simply let them scale him like he was a playset and snuggle anywhere they pleased. One particularly agile sparkling had managed to scale Starscream's frame and snuggle into the crook of his neck, purring happily. A trine of sparklings took up the space of Starscream's lap and he held two others in his arms. Megatron had honestly never seen Starscream so contented. 

The little "Aha!" from the caretaker caused Megatron to flinch in surprise from the calm moment being interrupted, but he soon collected himself following the mech back to where Starscream and the affectionate seeker sparklings were. The caretaker then opened the holo-book once he dimmed the lights of the room, and the holo-book began projecting a beautiful picture of Vos which had all the sparklings cooing at it in awe as soon as they laid optics on it. 

Starscream looked at Megatron and motioned his helm towards the holo-book, urging him to pay attention. He then gazed back at the holo-book projection and listened to the story he knew well from his own seeker-hood. 

Megatron found it a struggle however to even hear a single word of the story the caretaker was telling as he was too focused on Starscream and the sparklings he was covered in. The dim lighting accompanied by the beautiful golden glow from the holo-book projection made Starscream look beautiful. Starscream's optics were dimmed in content and a genuine smile graced his faceplates as he listened to the story. All Megatron could do was wonder how he never noticed these things about Starscream before and that maybe, just maybe, there was more to Starscream than met the eye.


	5. More Questions Than Answers

It was later that night that Megatron returned to his quarters, a standard cybertronian copy of the Voice of Vos in hand. He had escorted Starscream back to the medical bay and left him in the medics capable servos. Sitting at his desk, he turned on the holo-book and began to read the old sparklings tale.

"Once upon a time, there were two seekers. 

The elder of the two seekers was clad in shiny golden paint, his shoulders broad, wingspan large, and optics a crystal clear cyan blue. The golden seeker was a forged leader, his words moved seekers and grounders alike to follow his beliefs. When an enemy challenged him, he could often make them flee with his booming voice and intimidating presence. When he soared through the skies of Cybertron, the sound of him taking off sounded like a thunder crack. He was the Protector of Vos. 

The younger of the two seekers was painted pure white, golden accents gracing his elegant and sleek frame. His optics a smoldering red, his wings were beautiful and expressive, his claws polished and sharpened to perfection, and his astounding grace in the sky knew no rivals. The pure white seeker was a forged monarch, his words calmed the worries of the people he reined over. When tempers rose he was quick to lower them, doing so with ease. When he soared through Cybertron's skies barely a sound a was made until he suddenly would disappear in a crack of white light, a sound similar to a lightning strike piercing the sky. He was the Grace of Vos. 

Together these two seekers ruled Vos as conjunx endura, their sparks bonded together for all eternity. Their subjects adored them and Vos was prosperous in their rein. No wars were fought, no poverty, no pain. 

One day, the younger of the two seekers became sparked. Three sparklings he carried and birthed to the excitement of the Vosian people. 

The third seekerling to be born was as black as night, violet and gold accenting his plating. As the little one grew in age, they discovered the ability to disappear in a flash of light like their carrier. With this ability the sparkling was dubbed the Ghost of Vos. 

The second seekerling to be born was a beautiful sky blue, white adorning his pedes and servos. As the little one grew in age, they dominated the skies. Their thrusters giving off the same thunderous boom as their Sire. With this skill the sparkling was dubbed the Stormbringer of Vos.

The firstborn was born with crimson red plating, adorned with gold and white accents alike. As the eldest of the trine aged, he showed much skill in all aspects of speech. He was persuasive, his glossa sharp during debates, his voice soft and comforting when others were worried. He could stop the arguing of an entire council with one shrill screech that caused the sky to shake. His speed surpassed that of his younger siblings, not just in academics and social skills, but in the sky as well. For these reasons, he was dubbed the Voice of Vos and seen as heir to his creator's thrones. 

It is said that after the first fall of Vos that Voice was the only one to return after the attack on the palace and that his siblings had went into hiding. Distraught by this, Voice searched and searched for vorns but was unsuccessful in ever finding his lost family. 

Legend tells of a trine that would someday form, the three members the descendants of Vos' beloved leaders. The signs would be the traits of the three brothers. A sonic screech, thunderous sounding thrusters, and the ability to warp at will. 

As of this book currently being written, their have been many false claims from fame hungry seekers. No true Voice of Vos, Stormbringer of Vos, or Ghost of Vos descendants have been found. Many would say that this is just a work of fiction, a legend, a fable with no moral to end it. Read my words and heed them, my spark has burned long. I have witnessed the original Voice of Vos in action. This tale is true, it is not a work of fiction. They shall return someday and save the people of Cybertron."

Megatron hummed softly to himself as he pondered the words he read. Starscream's ability and even bits of his appearance sounded much like the Voice of Vos in these stories, but the two others perplexed him. He hadn't encountered any seekers like the other two described. When he had come to this book for answers, all he found were more questions.


End file.
